Brandon (pop. 51,313) is the second largest city in Manitoba. Only Winnipeg has more people. Brandon is a service and distribution center in a rich farming area. The city lies on the Assiniboine River.
Most of Brandon’s residents are employed in service industries, including government, education, retail trade, and health care. Food processing and the manufacture of chemicals and fertilizers are among the city’s chief industrial activities. The city is the home of the Brandon General Museum and Archives, the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, and Brandon University. Brandon has a large complex used for recreational, cultural, agricultural, and convention activities.
Assiniboine Indians lived in what is now the Brandon area before white settlers arrived. The settlers, attracted by the fertile land, came during the late 1870’s. In 1881, the Canadian Pacific Railway began to serve the area. The town that became Brandon was named for Brandon House, a trading post. Brandon was incorporated as a city in 1882. It served as a supply center for pioneers who established farms on the Canadian prairies. Brandon has a mayor-council government with a city manager.
